Diagnostic instrument



Dec. 12, 1944.

w. F. PECK ET AL I 2,365,104

DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENT Filed April 10, 1942 INVENTOR WILLIAM F PECK yaw/N QGRflD/SHB TTORNE Y Patented Dec. 12, 1944 DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENT William F. Peck, Snyder, and Albin A. Gra'disar, Buffalo, N. Y., assignors to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass, a voluntary association Massachusetts Application April 10, 1942, Serial No. 438,444

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-218) The present invention relates to improvements in diagnostic. instruments, and has particular reference to that type of instrument having illuminating means for projecting a beam of light. through a lens system into an orifice for examination purposes.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provid in an instrument of this nature. proper illumination for the indicia whereby they may be seen in a darkened room.

Another important object ofv the invention is to provide illuminating means for the indicia. so arranged as to prevent the light beams from entering the examiners eyes.

Another important object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means whereby the lamp may be adjusted in relation with the lens system to ofiset any differences in the filaments of different lamps and thereafter be locked in set position. i

Another object is to provide novel means for I controlling and varying the electrical current flow to lamp of the instrument.

Another object is to provide simple and economical means for accomplishing all the objects and advantages set forth,

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken. in connection with the accompanying drawing, and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims.

We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the exact detail of construction as the preferred form only has been shown by way of illustration. Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an instrument embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the instrument taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1-.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing theadjustabl lamp mounting.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the back of the instrument, showing the paths of the light beam through the lenses, to the indicia aligned with the opening. In the past with instruments of this nature which embody a self-contained source of illumi nation, most all such instruments had certain inherent defects. One of these defects has been due to the variation in the position of the filaments of the. lamps which were not alway tered in proper relation to their base. The result is that when the lamp is in position in the socket the center of the filament will not'lproperly line up with the opening and lenses through which the light is adapted to pass. Since most instruments of this nature have their light passageway provided with a condensing lens system and since the efficiency: of the bulb is greatest at the centerof the filament it is very desirable that th center of the filament should line up with the axis of the lens system.

Another defect of prior instruments of this nature was with the arrangement bywhich the indicia was illuminated. In some cases the illdicia were placed upon a transparent disc and the light rays were directed through to illuminate the indicia, while this made it possible to discern the indicia it caused the light rays to go through the transparent disc and enter the eyes of the examiner. Another means was to have the light shine directly throu h an opening in the support for the lens system, this caused the same objection, that is, having the light shine into the examiners eyes.

Another deficiency was in obtaining practical mean of controlling the intensity of illumination.

The essence of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome all the above difiiculties by providing simple, eflicient and economical means of accomplishing all of the results desired as well as to provide other novel features.

- attached to the handle Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, the instrument embodying the invention comprises a battery container I0, which acts as a handle for the instrument and is adapted to contain suitable batteries ll. Dose of supplying electrical energy to the illuminating means or bulb l2. In the bottom of the handle I0 there is a screw [3 upon which is mounted a spring M, the spring I4 is adapted to urge the batteries II in an upward direction to keep them in contact with the leaf spring contact l5.

A head supporting member I6 is connected to the handle II! at its upper end thereof by means of a threaded collar I1, which is permanently It]. This supporting member l6 has an internal bore IS in which the plug IQ of the instrument head 20 is adapted to be detachably held by means of a latch member 2!. The latch member 2| is substantially ring shaped and is movable transversely of the supporting member and is adapted to surround the plug I9. The latch member has two suitable slots 22 on its periphery which are adapted 'to engage a transverse pin 23 which extends through and from the plug IS. The slots 22 are disengaged from the pin 23 by means of a latch button 24 and are held in engagement with the slots 23 by means of a spring 25. It will thus be seen that the plug 19, of the instrument head 20 may be connected to the supporting member The batteries I l are for the purporting member |6 to position the plug |9 in proper relation with the supporting member l and will prevent the head 20 from turning in the supporting member l6. i

The lamp |2 is mounted in an adjustably supported socket 21 and is adapted to lie within the hollow bore 28 of the instrument head portion 29. The adjustable lamp socket 21 is in the form of an annular member havin substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces, one of which is held against the shoulder 30 internally of the hollow bore 28. by the head |9a of the plug IS. The plug I9 is detachably connected to the body portion 29 by means of a threaded locking collar 3|, which threadably engages the lower end of the head portion 29. The locking collar 3! has an inturned lip 32 which engages an ex-' ternal rib 33 on the head |9a thereby forcing the parts -|9a and 21 against the shoulder 30 of the hollow bore 28. The adjustable lamp socket is provided with adjusting arms 34 which extend through slots 35 of the body portion 29 exterially of the instrument. It will thus be seen that by loosening the locking collar 3| the lamp socket 21 will be loosened and may be ad justed laterally of the instrument and also partially rotated. When in the proper position it may be locked by tightening the locking collar 3| to bind the socket 21 between the shoulder 30 and the upper surface of the head |9a. The instrument head 29 is held from turning by means of a suitable pin 36' which is positioned in the slot 35 of the body portion 29 when in assembled relation therewith.

A bushing 31 of any good insulating material is mounted within the supporting member 6 and has a rheostat 38 attached thereto. The bushing 31 has an internal bore which is adapted to receive a portion of the plug I9.

The electric current is carried from the battery by means of the leaf spring contact mem ber l5. This leaf spring contact member I5 is attached to.the bushing 31 by means of a pin or the like 40, and extends downwardly to contact the battery. On the opposite side of its connection with the core 31 the contact has an arm l5a'extending upwardly and spaced from the core 31. A flexible insulated wire 4| is soldered at one end thereof to the upright arm |5a and at its opposite end to a rheostat contact '42. The rheostat contact is attached'to a control button 43 which is of a non-conductive mate rial and is slidably mounted in a slot 44 in the supporting member IS. The rheostat contact 42 is adapted to be moved along the resistance coil 38 of the rheostat to control the brightness of illumination of the bulb I2. The coil 38 is wound on a sleeve 38a of insulation material. The sleeve 38a is mounted on a core 38b. The core is attached at its upper end to the coil and extends downwardly and inwardly to provide a resilient contact 45. The core has a portion lying between the bottom of the bushing 31 and an insulating spacer 46 which overlies the lower end of the bushing 31. It will be noted that while the contact 45 is between the bushin 31 and the insulation spacer 46, the contact I5 is located on the outer or lower side of the insulation spacer 46. The bushing 31 has spaced downwardly extending portions 41 between which the contact |5 lies. These portions provide the contact 5. A contact washer 48 is placed between the core 31 and the latch member 2|. This contact washer has a resilient deflected portion 49 which is adapted to lie within a slot length which contains a contact pin 5|.

50 in the core 31 and contact the plug I9.

- The plug |9 has a hollow bore throughout its The contact pin 5| is insulated from the plug l9 by means of an insulating tube 52 and insulating washers 53 and 54 at each end thereof. At the upper end of the plug, and communicating with the hollow bore there is an enlarged counterbored opening to allow space for a resilient Z- shaped bulb contact 55 which is soldered at one end to the end of the contact pin 5| while the other end contacts the bulb |2. It will thus be seen that the electrical energy goes through the battery contact |5 into the insulated wire 4! to the rheostat contact 42, through the rheostat core 38b to the contact 45, into the contact pin 5| to the Z shaped contact where it contacts the bulb l2. The circuit will then be completed by going through the filament to the bulb socket 21, through the casing |0 back to the battery.

The body portion 29 of the instrument head 20 is provided with a light passageway 56. In said passageway there is mounted a condensing lens system 51 and a field lens 58. Suitable reflecting means 59 is supported in alignment with the lens system. The reflecting means 59 as shown is a mirror but it is to be understood that a prism or other means may also be used. The condensing lens system consists of the usual lenses mounted in spaced relation with each other in a lens holder 60. The lens holder is held within the light passageway 56 by means of a screw 6|. The field lens 58 and the reflecting member 59 are assembled in a holder 62 and held within the light passageway 56 by means of the screw uponthe bosses 66 and 61.

The dials 64 and 65 carry a plurality of lenses 68-and 69 as is well known to those skilled in the art, each of these lenses having a different focal value. The lens dial housing is provided with a sight opening 10 in substantially normal relation with the axis of the light passageway 56. The lenses 68 and 69 carried by the lens dials 64 and 65 are adapted to be selectively placed in axial alignment with the sight opening 10. The lens dials 64 and 65 are held in place by a cover plate 1| which is secured to the body portion 29 by means of the screws 12 and 13. Suitable washers 14 are placed between the dials 64 and 65 and the adjacent sides of the body portion 29 and the cover plate 1|, to allow freedom of movement for the dials. Each dial'is provided with suitable indexing means 15 which are adapted to hold the selected lenses in proper alignment with the sight opening 10 and the peep hole 86 of the cover plate 1|.

, opening 80 by the examiner.

positioned upon the dial 64 that when a certain lens is in alignment with the sight opening 10, the corresponding indicia will be aligned with an opening 80 in the cover plate H. The indicia on the auxiliary dial 65 will be seen through the aperture 85 of the cover plate II when the corresponding lens is in position with the sight opening 10. The opening 80 is provided with a magnifying lens 8| held in a suitable holder 82.

The body portion 29 is provided with an opening 83 adjacent the lamp I2. This opening 83 is adapted to allow light rays 81 from the lamp I2 to pass through two of the adjacent lenses of the main dial 64 onto the inner surface 84 of the cover plate H, where they will be reflected by said inner surface 84 upon the indicia 19. This illuminates the indicia to be viewed through the The reflective surface 84 of the cover plate H is preferably painted white for better reflecting qualities. The lenses 8| of the dial 64 are of an uneven number so that when a len is in position in axial relation with the sight opening ID the web between the lenses will be in axial relation with the opening 80. It

will thus be seen, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 4, that by causing the light rays 8'! to pass through two spaced lenses with the opaque web therebetween the light will be reflected from the surface 84 in such a manner as to illuminate the indicia without reflecting light into the eye of the examiner.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the applicant has provided simple. efficient and economical means of accomplishing all the objects and advantages of the invention.

Having described our invention. We claim:

1. In a device of the character described a member having a light passageway therein, said member having a shouldered portion in said passageway, attachment means adjacent the end having the shouldered portion therein and diametrically opposed openings communicating with the passageway adjacent said shouldered portion, a seceratively with the attachment means to clamp the socket between said end surface of the second member and said shouldered portion for securing said socket in adjusted position.

2. In a device of the character described a member having a light passageway therein, said member having a shouldered portion in said passageway, attachment means adjacent the end having the shouldered portion therein and diametrically opposed openings communicating with the passageway adjacent said shouldered portion, a second member with an end surface and separately operable coupling means carried by said second member adjacent said end surface for engagement with the attachment means on said first member having th light passageway therein and a lamp socket having opposed end surfaces in substantially parallel relation with each other, having side bearing surface contact with the shouldered portion and end surface of said second member and substantially diametrically opposed arms carried by said lamp socket and extending outwardly of the diametrically opposed openings, with said openings being of a width greater than the width of the arms to permit the arms to be manipulated to impart a rotary movement of said lamp socket and said socket being of a diameter less than the diameter of the adjacent portion of the passageway whereby the said socket may be simultaneously adjusted in a sidewise direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the passageway with the coupling means functioning cooperatively with the attachment means to clamp the socket between said end surface of the second member and said shouldered portion for securing said socket in adjusted position.

3. In a device of the character described a mem ber having a light passageway therein, said member having a shouldered portion in said passageond member with an end surface and connection means carried by said second member for engagement with the attachment means on said first member having the light passageway therein and a lamp socket having opposed end surfaces in substantially parallel relation with each other, having side bearing surface contact with the shouldered portion and end surface of said second way, attachment means adjacent the end having the shouldered portion therein and diametrically opposed openings communicating with the passageway adjacent said shouldered portion, a second member with an end surface and coupling means rotatably carried by said second member adjacent said end surface and having connecting.

means for engagement with the attachment means on said first member having the light passageway therein and a lamp socket having opposed end surfaces in substantially parallel relation with each other, having side bearing surface contact with the shouldered portion and end surface of said second member and substantially diametrically opposed arms carried by said lamp socket and extending outwardly of the diametrically opposed openings with said openings being of a width greater than the width of the arms to permit the arms to be manipulated to impart a rotary movement of said lamp socket and said socket being of a diameter less than the diameter of the adjacent portion of the passageway whereby the said socket may be simultaneously adjusted in a'sidewise direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the passageway with the coupling means functioning cooperatively with the attachment means to clamp the socket between said end surface of the second member and said shouldered portion for securing said socket in adjusted position.

WILLIAM F. PECK. ALBIN A. GRADISAR. 

